The Forest Department in Azad Kashmir has intensified its efforts toward forest conservation and the prevention of the illegal transportation of timber.
In this regard, a Forest Department team conducted a successful major operation under the cover of darkness on Pir Chinasi Road, seizing a Suzuki vehicle loaded with illegal timber.
Following the operation, both the vehicle and the timber were taken into custody and transported to the department’s central office on UT Bank Road, Muzaffarabad.
According to details, this action was carried out under the special directives of the Regional Chief Conservator of Forests, Malik Asad Mehmood, and the Conservator of Forests, Mir Naseer Ahmed. The operation was supervised by Sohail Nasir Khan, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) for the ‘Raiding Division’ (Enforcement Division) in Muzaffarabad.
During the late-night operation on Pir Chinasi Road, the Forest Department team recovered *Kail* (blue pine) timber that was being transported illegally and seized the Suzuki vehicle used for the transport.
Forest Department personnel—Jawad Mughal, Syed Mazhar Hussain Shah, Fahad Jahangir, and Kashif Zaman—participated in the operation. Demonstrating professional skill and vigilance, the team successfully thwarted the attempt to transport the timber illegally.
The seized vehicle and timber have been moved to the Forest Department’s central office on UT Bank Road for further legal proceedings and necessary investigation.
It should be noted that the forests of Azad Kashmir are of vital importance for the preservation of the natural environment, biodiversity, and ecological balance; however, factors such as illegal logging and timber smuggling pose a serious threat to their very existence.
In this context, the night-time surveillance and effective operations conducted by the Forest Department are highly significant measures.
Members of the public have lauded this action by the Forest Department on the Pir Chinasi Road, commending both the relevant authorities and the team that participated in the operation.
Citizens emphasize that the continuation of such operations is essential for protecting the forests and deterring the ‘timber mafia.’
The public has demanded that operations against illegal logging, the transportation of timber, and all individuals involved in this illicit trade be pursued without discrimination, in order to save the precious forests of Azad Kashmir from destruction.
